Adjustment indicator for fire hose nozzle



Dec. 17, 1957 B. D. RUSSELL ADJUSTMENT INDICATOR FOR FIRE HOSE NOZZLEFiled Feb. 27, 1956 2 Sheets-rSheet l wllllllllllllllll Dec. 17, 1957 B.D. RUSSELL 2,815,800

ADJUSTMENT INDICATOR FOR FIRE HOSE NOZZLE Filed Feb. 27, 1956 2Sheets-Sheet 2 NGLE OF SPRA Emmi/.27. JZzzasa/Z ADJUSTMENT INDICATOR FORFIRE HOSE NOZZLE Application February 27, 1956, Serial No. 567,910 1Claim. (Cl. 299136) This invention relates to nozzles for fire hoses,aerial towers and the like and refers more particularly to socalled fognozzles which may be adjusted to produce a finely divided spray or mistof water. Such nozzles are coming into widespread use in fire fightingbecause of their effectiveness. The spray which such a nozzle produceswhen it is adjusted to its fog position covers a relatively wide areaand quickly lowers the ambient temperature in the neighborhood of afire, permitting firemen to work close to the source of the fire. At thesame time, the dispersal of water in a fine mist affords an effectivewetting action which prevents the fire from spreading and rapidly lowersthe temperature of the less intensely burning portions below thekindling point, thus exerting a definite quenching effect.

Since substantial diffusion of such fog spray is desirable for maximumfire fighting efficiency, the fog nozzle must usually be raised wellabove ground level when it is in use, and for that reason fog nozzlesare frequently mounted on aerial towers and aerial ladders.

However, when the nozzle is thus raised, it cannot be directly attendedand adjusted, since, in most municipalities, personnel are forbidden bylocal regulations from being present on an aerial ladder to which a fognozzle has been attached. It is therefore essential that a firemanoperating a fog nozzle have some positive indication of the type ofspray or stream which will issue from the nozzle before the waterpressure is applied thereto, so that the nozzle can be raised on anaerial tower or aerial ladder with advance assurance that it will havethe proper setting to produce the desired type of output and that itwill not be necessary to bring the nozzle back down for readjustment.

The purpose and object of this invention is to provide a simple,practical indication for fog nozzles by which the type or character ofthe stream or spray that will issue from the nozzle will be reliablyindicated.

Fog nozzles comprise, in general, telescoped inlet and outlet nozzlesections having a threaded connection with one another. Adjustment ofthe type of spray or stream issuing from the nozzle is effected byrelative rotation between the nozzle sections, whereby a valve elementcarried by the inlet nozzle section is moved to different axialpositions relative to the outlet nozzle section, in each of whichpositions the valve element cooperates with the outlet nozzle section toproduce a different type of output. While the type of flow issuing fromthe nozzle is thus a function of the relative rotational position of thenozzle sections, indicia of rotational position placed directly on thenozzle sections would be unsatisfactory because the nozzle sections arerotatable through substantiallymore than a complete turn in movingthrough the full range of nozzle adjustments, and certain of the indiciawould therefore correspond to two quite different settings.

With this in mind it is another object of the present invention toprovide a simple, inexpensive and effective indicator, in a fog nozzleof the character described, for

" nited States Patent attests Patented Dec. 17, 1957 providing accuratevisual indication of the character of the stream or spray which willissue from the nozzle at each of a number of predetermined settingsthereof, and wherein the relative axial movement of the nozzle sectionsis utilized to actuate the indicator.

With the above and other objects in View, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction,combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafterdescribed and more particularly defined by the appended claim, it beingunderstood that such changes in the precise embodiment of thehereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of theclaim.

v The accompanying drawings illustrate several complete examples of thephysical embodiments of the invention constructed according to the bestmodes so far devised for the practical application of the principlesthereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view, partially in side elevation and partially inlongitudinal section, of a nozzle embodying the principles of thisinvention, shown in its position of adjustment to produce a solidstream;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the nozzle adjustedto a position in which it produces a fineiy divided divergent spray ormist;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the nozzle in aposition of adjustment in which it produces a very finely divided sprayor fog that diverges more widely from the nozzle;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken on the planeof the line 4-4 in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken on the plane of theline 5-5 in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing a modified embodimentof the invention;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken on the plane of theline 7-7 in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary elevational view showing another modificationof the invention; and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane of the line99 in Figure 8.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, in whichlike numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, thenumeral 5 designates generally a nozzle of the type used with fireequipment and comprising, in general, an inlet nozzle section 6, anoutlet nozzle section 8, and an elongated valve member 9 fixed in theinlet nozzle section and extending f-orwardly therefrom through theoutlet nozzle section.

The inlet and outlet sections of the nozzle cooperate to define a fluidpassage 10 communicating an inlet 11 at the rear of the nozzle with anoutlet 12 at its front. The inlet section may be provided with acoupling 13 for connect ng a fire hose or the like thereto.

The elongated valve member 9 has a stem 15, the rear end of which isconcentrically anchored in the inlet nozzle section, as by means of aweb or spider (not shown), and which carries at its front end anenlarged head 16. The outlet 12 at the front of the outlet section is acounterbore, the bottom of which converges inwardly to pro- Vida seat 17for the head of the valve member. As the outlet section is rotated onits threaded connection 18 with the inlet section, the valve seat 17 iscarried back and forth relative to the enlarged head on the valve memberand cooperates therewith in providing for adjustment of the character ofthe stream or spray issuing from the nozzle.

When the outlet nozzle section is moved to its most forward position thehead of the valve member engages the seat 17 to define an off positionof the nozzle, and as the outlet nozzle section is moved rearwardly fromthe off position, in consequence of rotation of the outlet nozzlesection in one direction relative to the inlet section, water will bepermitted to issue from the nozzle outlet in the form of a steady,substantially solid stream, as shown in Figure .1, being guided forsuchflow by its passage through the annular orifice jointly defined bythe valve head and the wall of the outlet section counterbore. Uponfurther relative rotation of the outlet section in the same directionthe valve head is disposed aboutha-lf way out of the counterbore, asshown in ,Figure 2, so that the emerging water is somewhat dispersed andissues from the outlet in a slightly divergent spray. Continued relativerotation of the outlet nozzle section in the same direction, to thelimit of its travel, disposes the valve element in its forwardmostposition relative to the outlet nozzle section, as shown in Figure 3,and in this position of adjustment the wall of the counterborc providespractically no guidance for the expelled water, and the valve head tendsto deflect all parts of the stream laterally, creating .a fine, widelydispersed spray or fog." As is customary, a number of small ribs orlands 19 on the front of the outlet nozzle section, disposed atcircumferentially spaced intervals around the mouth of the outlet,deflect portions of the spray stream inwardly so that the fog has arelatively uniform intensity throughout the area which it covers.

While the several positions of adjustment of the nozzle correspond todifferent relative rotational positions of the nozzle body sections,such rotational settings are ordinarily difficult to ascertain by merevisual inspection of the nozzle, particularly since such a nozzle isusually made symmetrical about its center line and requiressubstantially more than a complete turn of the rotatable nozzle sectionfor its full range of adjustment. The present invention provides asimple indicator, easily seen and clear and positive in its indications,for denoting the several settings to which the nozzle may be adjustedand by means of which indicator the nozzle may be quickly set to provideany desired type f output, with assurance that the desired character offlow will issue from the nozzle when the water is turned on.

To this end the nozzle is provided with an indicator member'21-movablymounted on the exterior of the outlet nozzle section, a circumferentialforward-1y facing shoulder 22 on the inlet nozzle section lidablyengaging the rear of the indicator member .to cause it to move relativeto the outlet nozzle section in unison with relative movement of theinlet nozzle section, and cooperating indicia 23, 24 on the indicatormember and the outlet nozzle section.

More specifically, in the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1through 5, the indicator member comprises an elongated bar having a flatT-shaped cross-section and a downwardly turned finger 25 at its rear.The outlet nozzle is provided with a circumferential flange or collar 26at the rear thereof, and the indicator member is axially slidablymounted in a slot 28 in this collar, the slot having a shapecorresponding to the cross section of the indicator, as best seen inFigure 5. The inlet nozzle section also has a collar portion 29 at itsrear which provides the forwardly facing circumferential shoulder 22,and spaced a short distance forwardly of this shoulder is an annularflange 31. The downwardly turned finger 25 on the indicator is confinedbetween the shoulder 22 and the flange 31, as best seen in Figure 4, andthe indicator member is thus constrained to move back and forth inunison with back and forth adjustment of the inlet nozzle sectionrelative to the outlet nozzle section. Hence the axial position of theindicator member along the outlet nozzle section will correspond to theaxial position of the valve head relative thereto, and the indicia 23,24 can be presented directly in terms of the type of stream or sprayissuing from the nozzle at each setting thereof.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 6 and 7 theelongated indicator member 21' is substantially U-shaped in crosssection and accomodates between its legs a coiled tension spring 33 theends of which are anchored to pins 34 and 35 that are respectively fixedto the outlet nozzle section and to the indicator member. The tensionspring yieldingly biases the rear end of the indicator member intosliding abutment with a forwardly facing circumferential shoulder 22 onthe inlet nozzle section and thus serves the same function as the flange31 in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 through5. As best seen in Figure 7, the elongated indicator member 21' isendwise slidably mounted in a substantially T-shaped slot in the outletnozzle section in the same manner as the bar-like indicator in theFigures 1 through 5 embodiment, and it will be understood that thechannel shaped indicator member 21' bears indicia which may be the sameas those on its bar-like counterpart.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 8 and9 theindicatormember 21" is substantially quadrant shaped and is pivotallymounted on the rear portion of the outlet nozzle section, as by means ofa screw pintle 37. A substantially U-shaped compression spring 33' hasits legs engaged with abutments 34' and 35' on the outlet nozzle sectionand the quadrant-like indicator member to yieldingly bias the lattertoward a position in which its rearmost portion slidably abuts theforwardly facing shoulder 22 on the inlet nozzle member. A loop in thespring, at the bight thereof, encircles the pivot screw to hold thespring in place. Indicia 23, delineated along the arcuate edge of thequadrant-like indicator member cooperates with a stationary pointer .24fixed on the outlet nozzle section, adjacent to the indicator member, todesignate the setting of the nozzle.

From the foreging description taken together with the accompanyingdrawings it will be apparent that this invention provides means in anozzle for use with fire equipment for providing accurate, easily seenvisual indication of the type of flow which will issue from the nozzleat any given setting thereof so that the nozzle may be adjusted toprovide any desired type of output before water begins to flowtherethrough.

What .is claimed as my invention is:

A nozzle for a fire hose or the like comprising: a tubular inlet sectionthreaded into the rear end of an Outlet section so that relativerotation of said nozzle sections moves them axially relatively to oneanother; cooperating means carried by the inlet and outlet-sections andoperable ,byrelative axial movement thereof to adjust the .type of flowissuing from the nozzle; an internally threaded annulus on the rear endof the inlet section by which the nozzle is connectible to a hose, saidannulus providing a forwardly facing annular shoulder; a collar on therear end of the inlet section, said collar having a slotextendinglongitudinally across its peripheral portion, the oppositesides of the slot being undercut; an indicator bar slidably fitting insaid slot and constrained thereby to axial movement with respect to theoutlet section, the outer face of the indicator bar being substantiallyflush with the outer circumferential surface of the collar; an annularflange on the outer section spaced a short distance forwardly of theshoulder provided by the annulus on the rear end. of the inlet sectionand coacting with said shoulder tov define an annular groove, saidannular flange being smalled in diameter than the collar on the rear endof the outlet section, and the indicator bar extending from the rear endof the outlet section, across the annular flange and abutting theshoulder on the inlet section; a finger extending from the underside ofthe indicator bar into said annular groove to thereby connect 5 6 theindicator bar with the inlet section in a manner to References Cited inthe file of this patent shift the bar longitudinally in the slot uponrelative UNITED STATES PATENTS rotanon of the inlet and outlet sections;and cooperating indicia on the indicator bar and the collar to identify141,839 Walsh 1873 the type of flow which will issue from the nozzle at5 2,089,304 Stem Aug'101937 diiferent positions of adjustment thereof.2,568,515 Scheiwer Sept" 1951

